For five years he was pupil-assistant to Parratt, organist of St George's Chapel, Windsor, and in 1890 won a composition scholarship to the Royal College of Music, studying under Parry and Stanford. In 1895 he joined the staff there, teaching counterpoint. He became well known as an organist and choir-master, lecturer and adjudicator. He conducted the Bach Choir from 1903 to 1907, was director of music for the RAF in 1917, and from 1919 to 1926 was professor of music at the University of Wales. In 1924 he became Gresham Professor of Music, was organist at St George's Chapel from 1927 to 1932, and adviser to the BBC from 1927 to 1939. He was knighted in 1922, and on Elgar's death in 1934 he became Master of the King's Musick. His busy life did not allow much time for composition, but he wrote a book, The Pursuit of Music, which was published in 1935.